Dr. Oz: Dealing with Chronic Anger
Dr. Oz talked to a woman who deals with chronic anger. She’s a working mother with five kids and has a lot to juggle. She always feels like she’s on edge and the slightest thing will set her off. She jokes to her husband that she has “postpartum rage” instead of postpartum depression.
Dr. Oz talked to a woman struggling with chronic anger. Is it leading to high blood pressure and damage to her arteries? (Ben Schonewille / Shutterstock.com)
She has road rage in the car. She also takes out her frustrations on her husband. But she doesn’t want her kids to see her as an angry person.
Dr. Oz: Chronic Anger Leads to High Blood Pressure
She said when she loses control, she’ll yell. She said her family is often in a hurry, so as they’re going out the door she’s yelling everyone along. After she gets angry, she feels guilty. She also doesn’t know how to communicate after being so angry.
Dr. Oz took her to the Truth Tube, where he learned her blood pressure was 119/81, which is perfect. She was worried that her blood pressure jumps up when she’s angry. It turns out that when we get angry, our blood pressure does rise. Dr. Oz theorized her blood pressure might go up to around 144/96.
The trouble with taking blood pressure is that in the doctor’s office, we’re often in a calm state. That means our blood pressure is lowered. But when our blood pressure is high due to anger or stress or fear, we can have complications like burst blood vessels, which scars the arteries and hardens them over time.
Dr. Oz said that some people indulge themselves with chocolate cake. But other people indulge with anger. When you get angry, it makes you feel vindicated and you feel right. Some anger is good for you. But chronic anger is a problem and can cause permanent damage.
Dr. Oz: Productive Vs. Unproductive Anger
Dr. Oz wanted to help her with a program to cure her chronic anger. He introduced her to Dr. Sudeepta Varma, a psychiatrist, who said that she understands the pressures of being a working mom. But she said there’s a difference between productive anger and unproductive anger. Anger in small amounts can help bring people together. But too much too often alienates people.
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